Every UK #1 Single of The 1980's Discussion Thread.

The closest to a North American release of this Bucks Fizz single was in Canada. The aforementioned "Now Those Days Are Gone" which @Jarleboy mentioned was the flip of this version:
No U.S. release, though . . .

It’s a good song, but from here on in the records were (mostly) very overproduced. Lots of clattering about.

That said, Are You Ready is a good pop album and My Camera Never Lies is very representative of its sound.

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That´s one of the main failings of Bucks Fizz records, I think. The production often let down the songs. (And that may be part of the reason I love "NOW THOSE DAYS ARE GONE". Simple, unaffected, earnest, sad... What´s not to like?)

That´s one of the main failings of Bucks Fizz records, I think. The production often let down the songs. (And that may be part of the reason I love "NOW THOSE DAYS ARE GONE". Simple, unaffected, earnest, sad... What´s not to like?)

My Camera Never Lies - much better, if I had a top 5 Bucks Fizz singles this would definitely be in it.

Re: Fashion above. Dave Harris from that iteration of the band has just reissued the album he made with Rick Wright from Pink Floyd under the name Zee, after he left Fashion. He's also working on a deluxe reissue of the Fabrique album and plans to tour and record under the name Fabrqiue in a similar style to the Fashion album.

It is odd they never have a hit single when the album Fabrique made the top 10 (or maybe it's odd the album made the top 10 when they never had a hit single!). They certainly had a lot of coverage in the likes of Smash Hits, The Face and New Sounds, New Styles. In the 1980s Fashion issued three albums, each with a different lead singer, and after Dave left Troy Tate (ex Teardrop Explodes, solo artist and one-time Smiths producer) was the lead singer, including an appearance on Old Grey Whistle Test but the band never issued any studio recordings that feature him. Dave's a really nice guy on social media - always open to fan's questions.

Other favourites emerging – Ever So Lonely by Monsoon is one of my all time favourite singles. I always loved George Harrison’s sitar tracks on Beatles’ albums. Monsoon’s Third Eye album Is fantastic, it’s a shame it was the only one, although Sheila Chandra’s first few solo albums are Monsoon in all but name. Tragically she recently lost the use of her voice. Wikipedia says In 2009, Chandra began experiencing symptoms of what was eventually diagnosed as burning mouth syndrome, as a result of which she is unable to sing, speak, laugh or cry without suffering intense pain. She has thus been rendered effectively mute.

Yazoo’s Only You is a perfect pop song, I loved all of Vince Clarke’s output until Erasure who I find unbearable. I saw Yazoo live on their reunion tour and they were amazing – Alison was a great front person and I spotted Dawn French dancing like a dervish in the audience. It’s such a shame they imploded so early (not only because it might have spared us Erasure!). Alison’s solo career never really engaged with me as much as Yazoo did; I think Yazoo were greater than the sum of their parts. And what about that b-side, Situation? Two brilliant songs on the same single. I’m not surprised Situation has proved so endearing – you can still get a great reaction playing it in DJ sets. I wonder if it had been promoted as a double a-side, or even with Situation as the a-side it would have made no.1?

Looks like Maiden's "The number of the beast" LP topped the album chart for two weeks in April. I didn't remember that. Good job for a rather uncompromising and mostly uncommercial heavy metal LP.

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But much more commercial than the previous two albums.
I saw every Maiden tour in the 80's...and was disappointed with Bruce initially,as I though they'd replace a original in D'ianno with a traditional Rock singer.

But much more commercial than the previous two albums.
I saw every Maiden tour in the 80's...and was disappointed with Bruce initially,as I though they'd replace a original in D'ianno with a traditional Rock singer.

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I'm a lifelong Di'anno fan, but what's commercial about the Beast LP besides Run to the hills?

I'm a lifelong Di'anno fan, but what's commercial about the Beast LP besides Run to the hills?

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I said compared to the first two.
I lot of fans (at the time) thought the single The Number Of The Beast, was a sell out as well as Run To The Hills.
Its a much more polished album, production wise too. All...relatively as you have said.

Written by McCartney alone, the song was performed live in the studio by both McCartney and Wonder, though due to conflicting work schedules, both recorded their parts for the song's music video separately (as explained by McCartney in his commentary for The McCartney Years 3-DVD boxed set).

A video for the solo version was also made, which showed McCartney playing piano with a bright spotlight, and African-American males in prison, including one of them being uplifted by the song, dancing and listening to it in prison as well as in the studio. This version was directed by Barry Myers on 11 February 1982. That same day, McCartney filmed a promotional interview for the Tug of War album.[6]

The b-side of the single, the song "Rainclouds", is written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine, though on early pressings of the single the song was credited only to McCartney.[7]

Chart performance
"Ebony and Ivory" spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the fourth-biggest hit of 1982.[8] For McCartney, the song's run atop the chart was the longest of any of his post-Beatles works, and second longest career-wise (behind "Hey Jude" with The Beatles); for Wonder, it was his longest-running chart-topper.[9] It marked the first time that any single released by any member of the Beatles hit the Billboard R&B chart. It was McCartney's record 28th song to hit number one on the Billboard 100.[10]

In 2008, the song was ranked at #59 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time.[11] In 2013, it was ranked #69 on the Billboard list of the Hot 100 songs of all-time.[3]

Written by McCartney alone, the song was performed live in the studio by both McCartney and Wonder, though due to conflicting work schedules, both recorded their parts for the song's music video separately (as explained by McCartney in his commentary for The McCartney Years 3-DVD boxed set).

A video for the solo version was also made, which showed McCartney playing piano with a bright spotlight, and African-American males in prison, including one of them being uplifted by the song, dancing and listening to it in prison as well as in the studio. This version was directed by Barry Myers on 11 February 1982. That same day, McCartney filmed a promotional interview for the Tug of War album.[6]

The b-side of the single, the song "Rainclouds", is written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine, though on early pressings of the single the song was credited only to McCartney.[7]

Chart performance
"Ebony and Ivory" spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the fourth-biggest hit of 1982.[8] For McCartney, the song's run atop the chart was the longest of any of his post-Beatles works, and second longest career-wise (behind "Hey Jude" with The Beatles); for Wonder, it was his longest-running chart-topper.[9] It marked the first time that any single released by any member of the Beatles hit the Billboard R&B chart. It was McCartney's record 28th song to hit number one on the Billboard 100.[10]

In 2008, the song was ranked at #59 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time.[11] In 2013, it was ranked #69 on the Billboard list of the Hot 100 songs of all-time.[3]